One of the most inconvenient things about indie eyeshadows is that most of them come in singles and most of them are in loose powder form. This can be hard to manage when you're running late in the morning and don't have the time to dig through piles of indie jars for that one shade you're looking for or you just want to slap on some shadow without having to worry about loose powder fallout.
A good (though time-consuming) way to deal with this problem is to press your eyeshadows into a solid form (here's a tutorial on how to press your own eyeshadows by the lovely Portrait of Mai) and put them into your own custom designed palette!
There are just a few options for palettes. If you press your shadows into the standard 26 mm circle pans that MAC uses, you can pick up one of their Pro Palettes or you can grab one from Coastal Scents. There are a couple companies that advertise "free form" palettes that can fit eyeshadow pans of all shapes and sizes. The UNII Palette is a pretty but expensive option. Z-Palettes are a little cheaper but with limited design options (and personally, I'm not a fan of animal print).
For those of us who want design flexibility and also want the benefits that come with buying indie, Book of Shadows gracefully steps up to the plate.
Book of Shadows is a shop by Etsy user anothersoul. The names are often interchangeable when someone is talking about the company so be aware that they're one in the same.
Packaging:
I purchased 5 palettes at once in a custom bulk order (during my crazed eyeshadow pressing stage) and they arrived snugly in a USPS small mailing box. I'm not sure if smaller orders are packaged in the same way but since the palettes are pretty sturdy, I'm not too concerned with any damage during shipping.
Selection:
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| Single Sided, Pro-sized Palette |
Some listings are marked as water resistant, using a stronger style paper, while others are not. If this is something important to you, be sure to check the listing.
Also, if you see a design that you like but would like a different "style" of palette, contact the owner to see if she can work something out for you - one of the best benefits of buying indie. On the shop policies page, the owner mentions being willing to make custom sized palettes as well.
Samples:
This shop only sells palettes and you can't really sell samples of those. XD
Quality:
I'm not sure what the palettes are made out of but they're definitely sturdy and hold up well to any kind of flex test that I tried. The "lid" is one solid, non-floppy piece with metal grommets in the corners (presumably not to keep everything in place but to create the magnet closure). The "inside" is two magnetic sheets firmly glued down and the edging is a stiff piece of foam. I've needed a tiny bit more space in one of my palettes and was happy to note that the foam is easily trim-able with an exact-o knife.There are two tiny magnets in the two outer corners and they provide a nice snap close to the palette. They hold well and I've never worried about accidental openings.
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| 26 mm circle pans |
I easily fit 30 26 mm circle pans in one of my Pro-sized palettes The website states that only 20 will fit in a regular sized palette. I really like the size of my Pro-sized palettes and I think that for everyday use, the regular sized palette would work just fine.
Cost:
I made my purchase back in May and I believe that the prices on the shop have been lowered since then. When I purchased, I paid 20ish per palette (I was able to negotiate a discount for buying several at once). A "regular" palette is now $14.99. If you'd like a water-resistant one, it's $15.99. Other options are a little more expensive but the deep Pro palette is the most costly at $26.99. I think these prices are nice and reasonable, especially compared to the $29 UNII palette (which is cute but TINY). Surprisingly, the MAC pro palette is cheaper at $8.
Customer Service:
I contacted the shop owner for my bulk order and she responded promptly and was very accommodating to any of my requests. I wanted the interior to be slightly larger and she didn't charge me extra for the additional work to the already finished products.
TAT:
The shop says that items are ready to ship in 3-5 business days. I don't recall exactly when mine shipped but I don't remember waiting for very long.
Shipping:
The shipping cost is a little pricey, it's $4.50 within the US for a single item and additional items are $2.50 for the regular-sized palette but if you want something larger like the Pro palette, shipping is $7.50. International shipping is, as always, painful at $8.90 for the regular palette and $11.90 for the Pro. There is a US flat rate of $13.90 if you purchase 5 palettes or more.
Personal Thoughts:
I like these palettes quite a bit. I think that they're well made and each one of mine is a consistent quality. I wish the shop offered an option with a clear window through the top but since it's much cheaper than other options, I suppose I can live with having to open the palette to see what inside.
Do any of you press your own shadows? What kind of ways do you like organizing your makeup?
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